Anita Avedian, holding License # LMFT 38403, is an experienced Marriage and Family Therapist who embarked on her psychotherapy journey in 1996. In 2001, she established her private practice and has been serving clients in Sherman Oaks, Glendale, and Woodland Hills ever since. In 2018, she founded the Avedian Marriage and Family Therapy Corporation, merging Anger Management 818 with her private practice to create a dynamic group practice. Her areas of expertise encompass relationship counseling, anger management, social anxiety, general anxiety, and addiction therapy. As the Executive Director of Anger Management 818, she oversees multiple locations across Greater Los Angeles, and services offered virtually nationwide, dedicated to enhancing people's ability to regulate their anger, communicating more effectively, improving their daily lives and relationships.

Anita is a driving force in the field of anger management. She is a certified National Anger Management Association (NAMA) model provider, an Authorized NAMA Trainer, and a supervisor for certifying anger management specialists. Holding the title of Certified Anger Management Specialist IV and Diplomat Member of NAMA, Anita conducts nationwide training sessions for counselors seeking certification in anger management. She is also the author of "Anger Management Essentials," a workbook for addressing aggression, which has been translated into Spanish, Armenian, and Hebrew. Additionally, she released the Teen Version in 2017 and a 2nd edition of the adult book in 2021. The Anger Management Essentials Facilitator’s Edition is in progress and will soon be published.

Committed to her professional community, Anita co-founded and currently serves as President of the California Chapter of NAMA. She is the visionary behind "Toastmasters for Mental Health Professionals" and an active contributor to organizations like the Armenian American Medical Society (AAMS) and the Armenian American Mental Health Association (AAMHA). Anita extends her dedication by volunteering to organize the mental health segment of the annual Glendale Health Festival.

Anita employs a cognitive-behavioral approach to help her clients identify and reframe worldviews that don’t work for the, and challenge unrealistic expectations about oneself and others. She primarily works with company executives, individuals from the entertainment field and professionals.
Specialties include relationships, anxiety disorders including social anxiety, mood disorders, anger management and addictions.

History

Anita embarked on her academic journey by earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from California State University, Northridge, in 1995. In 1998, she achieved a Master of Science degree in Educational Psychology, with a focus on Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling, from the same institution. To diversify her specialization, she integrated her interest in serving private sector businesses and government agencies into her counseling studies, culminating in two Master's level certifications: Human Resources (Consulting and Organizational Development) and Employee Assistance Program.

Anita's journey in the field began with an internship at the Family Violence Project, where she counseled children, teens, and taught parenting skills in a battered women's shelter. Subsequently, she worked at UCLA's Center for Community Health as an Intervention Coordinator, contributing to research on structured counseling programs for HIV positive teens and adults.

In 2003, Anita earned certifications in Critical Incident Stress Debriefings and Thought Field Therapy, enhancing her practice with energy therapy techniques. She also became a Certified Anger Management Facilitator during the same period. In 2007, she co-founded ABC Centers for Self-Improvement, later dissolved in December 2007, but she continued her work in anger management, founding Anger Management 818. Anita's therapeutic expertise extended to reality television as she provided counseling services on shows like the Bad Girls Club, Season 2, and Sunset Tan. She has made appearances as a therapist on various reality shows, including Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Vanderpump Rules, Little Women of LA, and has even discussed road rage on Good Day LA.

Anita takes pride in mentoring and supervising two associates, fostering their growth in the mental health field. Her multifaceted work with diverse populations and in various fields remains a source of professional satisfaction and accomplishment.